Old People M7 ATF AU
by senorabutterfly
Summary: JD makes the mistake of calling the others 'old'. Not mine, no profit made. May need a 'no food or drink' warning...


"Old People" M7 ATF AU

JD wrinkled his brow as he tried to decipher what Buck and Chris were discussing as the team sat in Larabee's living room. It had to do with something from the late '80s that he had no idea about.

The electronics tech shook his head.

"I don't get old people." he muttered.

"Hey! Who you callin' old, squirt?" Buck pounced, forgetting the subject matter for the moment.

"Did you just call me old, JD?" Chris asked with deceptive quiet. Josiah scowled ominously and Nathan started fingering the knife he wore on his belt, while Ezra's eyebrows had raised almost to his hairline.

"Oh shit… did I just say that out loud?" Dunne asked with a slightly panicked look at the five older men surrounding him. Vin was older too, but not by all that many years and he didn't act like an 'old person' most of the time. Although even he felt decades older than the kid sometimes, but the sniper's age came more from hard experience than actual years.

"Kid, I keep tellin' ya one of these days yur mouth's gonna overload yur brain. I think today might just be the day."

Buck reached for the smaller form, who ducked and took off running. In just seconds five of the other men were hot on his heels. Ezra had twisted his ankle at a bust, so was watching from the sidelines as his compatriots dashed around the house.

"I'll show ya old, JD." Nathan muttered as he detoured to the side to cut the smaller man off.

"Age and experience beats youth and stupidity every time, Kid." Buck called as his long legs gained on the shorter figure.

Chris simply sprinted after the young agent in silence, the big cat image strong as he looked like a panther getting ready to pounce on his prey. Josiah went to the opposite direction from the medic to cut off Dunne's avenues of escape. Vin was just along for the ride, helping herd the quarry into the net.

In minutes it was all over. JD was surrounded by the 'old' men and Chris went in low and swept the kid's legs out from under him with one shoulder, careful to cushion the young agent's fall even as he took him down. The group had also been careful not to damage any of the leader's valuables in the chase. When Chris had JD down, the men swooped in and began tickling the defenseless agent. Soon whoops of laughter echoed through the house as they forgot who they were supposed to be attacking and got each other. Ezra had been observing, and now grinned and snapped a picture of the formidable and imposing members of one of the most effective teams in law enforcement rolling on the floor jabbing each other in the ribs and laughing until tears ran out of their eyes.

When they were all so winded they could barely speak, Chris leaned back on his elbows on the floor and got everyone's attention.

"Alright, I think we showed the kid that we aren't too old to whip his ass. Now we better get up and start dinner before we forget what we're supposed to be doin'."

"No more 'old people' comments, JD?" Josiah asked with a warning look.

The ebony bangs flew from side to side. "Nope. I learned my lesson. If somethin' like that comes outta my mouth again, I'll just tickle myself silly and skip the bein' plowed to the floor by Chris' shoulder part."

The younger man rubbed his aching shins where the iron-hard form had struck him. Chris had saved him from any real injury, but the floor was still pretty hard and Chris himself was like a steam roller when he wanted you down and like a boa constrictor when he got you there. Struggle as you might, you weren't getting out of the ground fighter's grip until he decided to let you go.

Chris and Vin got gracefully to their feet and then held out their hands to help the rest up. Laughing, the six made their way back to Standish, each man rubbing some part of their anatomy.

"Looks like you're gonna have to share that ointment you make, Nate. I think Vin bruised my ribs with that bony finger of his." Chris grumbled good naturedly as he gingerly felt of the spot where the tracker had poked him in the side and made him almost spit he got so tickled.

"At least yu didn't get Josiah's size 13 boot in yur ribs." the sniper replied with a tender examination of his left side.

"Sorry son. Buck stepped on my hand and I kicked in reflex." The preacher carefully flexed the fingers of his right hand to be sure they all still worked properly.

"Didn't mean to, Josiah. JD hit me when Chris took 'im down and I lost my balance." The ladies' man limped just a little from where the younger man hit his knee with his flailing arms.

Nathan was gently fingering his own ankle. "Yeah, kid got me, too. Next time Chris slams ya JD, just go down. He ain't gonna let ya get seriously hurt."

"Ain't gonna be a next time if I can help it. Bein' hit by him is like gettin' tackled by a linebacker and then steamrolled. He may look lean, but he's strong!" JD stated emphatically.

Ezra bit his lip to keep from laughing at the bedraggled group.

"Well, at least I don't feel alone anymore. It's a good thing you said I could start walkin' a little Nathan, 'cause I'm not sure any of you are up to helpin' me right now." He lost his effort to hold the laugher in and burst out in amused chuckles as he looked the limping and aching men over.

Chris straightened up and headed toward the gambler, a tiny grimace tilting his lips as his jabbed ribs pulled. "I may not be moving quite as well, but I can still 'help' you out, Ez."

One hand reached down to pull the smaller agent to his feet even though he hadn't really intended to get up just then. Several of the others limped up as well.

Another laugh escaped Standish, even as part of his brain tried to hush him.

"My, my… you gentlemen do have fragile egos, don't you?"

The lean figure above him eyed him curiously. "How ticklish are you?" he asked with soft menace.

"Oh, shit…"

Ezra echoed JD's earlier comment and then burst out laughing as his captor attacked his ribs with the hand that had lifted him up, and Buck snuck up to get him from the other side.

"Ok, ok…I give! I give!" wheezed out the tortured figure as he bent over to try to get his breath. "JD…. "

Dunne was still wiping tears from the tickling he'd received.

"Don't worry, Ezra. I'm never saying those words again!"

"That's good son, because I'd have to laugh, and I don't think either of us can survive another attack from these particular 'old people'…"

Said 'old people' gave wicked smirks and then all seven moved slowly toward where Nathan kept the first aid supplies in Chris' kitchen.

The medic started laughing.

"I know one thing… I pity the fool that messes with this group of 'old people'!"

Vin glanced at the rest and then grinned. "Yep. We'll still be kickin' ass even then."

The rest looked at him, then themselves. Smiles slowly formed on all their faces.

Chris gave a satisfied nod. "That we will. And as long as we're all still together, that'll be alright."

The rest dipped their heads in assent. Growing old wouldn't be too bad as long as they had each other. And since becoming an 'old person' would mean they had survived, the title would just be something else for Team Seven to be proud of.

Josiah closed his eyes as he tilted his face upward.

"God bless the 'old people'. And let us live long enough to become one. Amen."

"Amen"

By DMA


End file.
